How to stand out from the crowd
Often businesses approach the creation of their website to the tune of ‘lets just get something up there’, however this is not where the value lies, according to Pres-ence Online business director, Tim Birdsall.
Often businesses approach the creation of their website to the tune of ‘lets just get something up there’, however this is not where the value lies, according to Pres-ence Online business director, Tim Birdsall.
Birdsall says companies need to think about putting life into their websites to en-hance user experience and gain real value.
He says strategies behind enriching user experience don’t just relate to revamping the look and feel of the site but involve in-depth analysis of user needs and behav-iour.
“Companies need to acknowledge their customers are in control, so websites must communicate in a suitable language and style, provide relevant, current content, speedy access, ease of use, and interactivity in order to enrich customers’ site expe-riences and promote brand loyalty,” he says.
Bridsall, who will be speaking at this year’s CFP convention in Tasmania, says there are certain key features companies need to look over before jumping straight into website creation.
“There are a limited number of generic key features that contribute to a successful website. The first and possibly most important is easy navigation. If users cannot quickly find the information they are after they will doubtless look elsewhere. In a time-poor society, speed is akin to godliness. A good search engine and plain-English site map will help here,” he says.
“A segment devoted to profiling the company/product/service is a must. Don’t as-sume users will know who you are and what you do. Work on strong visual branding that differentiates you from your competitors.”
Update your website regularly or risk being abandoned by regular users. This includes deleting old information from the site.
A recent survey by the US group Forrester Research found that customers returned to websites because of: strong content (75 per cent); ease of use (66 per cent) updated information (54 per cent) and Speed (58 per cent).
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